Got a vegan friend or family member coming to dinner or perhaps an upcoming bunny-tastic celebration at your place? Are you a new vegan unsure how to broach the subject of holiday dinners with your vegan-clueless family? Or maybe you just appreciate undoubtedly delicious recipes. Well whatever you've got going on, you should seriously consider making these foods.
I promise this meal will be more delicious than the usual bread, iceberg lettuce salad, plain pasta with sauce meal most vegans get at large holiday functions. Each dish is simple and fresh yet still special enough to be a real holiday treat for all your guests - vegan or not.
Roasted Asparagus
1 bunch of asparagus
3 cloves fresh garlic, minced
2 table spoons extra virgin first press olive oil
sea salt to taste (or smoked salt --oooo so yummy!)
fresh ground pepper to taste
chopped fresh parsley to taste
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut the stumps off the ends of the asparagus stalks. Lay asparagus in roasting/baking dish, and drizzle generously with olive oil. Sprinkle on the minced garlic, salt, pepper, and fresh parsley. Toss to ensure all asparagus are coated evenly. Roast for 20-30 minutes, depending on whether you prefer your asparagus soft and tender or with a fresher crunch.
Roasted New Potatoes or Mini Potatoes
1 bag of new potatoes, fingerling potatoes, or mini mixed color potatoes (red, blue, gold).
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary
1 table spoons extra virgin first press olive oil
1-2 table spoons of Earth Balance soy butter - optional, but it makes the potato skins crispy
sea salt to taste
fresh ground pepper to taste
chopped fresh parsley to taste
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Scrub and clean those little taters. Put into a roasting/baking dish, drizzle generously with olive oil. Sprinkle on rosemary, olive oil, salt, pepper, and fresh parsley. Toss to ensure all potatoes are coated evenly. Roast for 30-45 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender enough to be easily pierced with a fork.
Blood Orange Fennel Salad
3 large blood oranges
1 large bulb fennel
2 table spoons extra virgin first press olive oil
sea salt to taste
fresh ground pepper to taste
chopped fresh parsley to taste
Halve, then quarter the blood oranges. Slice carefully along the bottom of the wedges to cleanly cut off the rind. Break oranges into slices, cut each slice in half. Cut off the very bottom of the bulb of fennel, and cut off the stalk of green stuff growing. Slice the bulb into rings, then chop those rings into smaller chunks of fennel. Toss fennel and oranges in a bowl with olive oil, salt, pepper, and parsley.
Curried Zucchini with Almonds and Mint
1 large zucchini
1/2 cup almonds (raw) - whole or sliced
2 sprigs of fresh mint, chopped
1/2 - 1 tablespoon yellow curry powder
2 big cloves minced garlic
1 tablespoon extra virgin first press olive oil
sea salt to taste
fresh ground pepper to taste
Slice the zucchini into circles, then cut those into half-moons. Sauté in curry powder, garlic, and olive oil for at least 5-10 minutes on low-medium heat. Add in almonds and mint, sauté for another 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.
These recipes use found produce easily found in-season at most grocers or markets. Since they are simple vegetable dishes that steer clear of vegan faux meats or cheeses, they should be pleasing even to the pickiest meat-loving palates. If you are serving the traditional ham or lamb Easter meal, you can non-vegan entree with these lovely colorful dishes that are basically different vegetables covered in high-quality olive oil and fresh herbs to make them super-delicious.
Time to put your pomegranates and seitan away --it's Spring!
